To add drama. Take away the furnishings and finishes in this room, and you’ve got a pretty humble plasterboard box. The black ceiling adds architectural interest where none existed and makes the space feel far more interesting.

To draw attention to a view. Sure, this view would be beautiful even if the ceiling were white. But notice how the black surface draws your eyes toward the vista, kind of like a red carpet unfurling in front of you?

To define an area. It can be hard distinguishing one space from another within an open floor plan. A black ceiling can do the trick, without the hassle of room dividers or area rugs.

To conceal a mess. It can be tough to hide all the ductwork in a basement ceiling. Covering it with drywall can rob you of precious headroom (not to mention money). An inexpensive solution is to paint the whole thing black. It won’t eliminate the problem entirely, but it’ll make the mechanics far less prominent without lowering the ceiling’s height.

To make a ceiling look taller. Sounds like a contradiction, right? But when you can’t see the boundaries of a room, it can appear bigger. This is especially true if you paint the tops of the walls black as well.

To emphasize trim. Got some awesome millwork? Make it pop by painting the surrounding surfaces black.

To echo other elements in the room. If there’s a lot of black elsewhere in the room, a black ceiling can tie things together and create a unified look.

To make a ceiling look lower. High ceilings always sound good. But in reality, they can make a space feel cold and imposing. Black paint will make the ceiling feel lower without sacrificing space.

Because the walls are black. If you’re going to take the plunge and paint your walls black, do you really want to wimp out on the ceiling? The bedroom here is dramatic and supremely sexy, but it wouldn’t have worked half as well without the black ceiling.

The same holds true for this bath. Since bathrooms are self-contained spaces, and people don’t usually spend a great deal of time in them, they’re an excellent place to try something a little bit daring.

Because the rest of the room is black and white. Chaplin, houndstooth, The New Yorker — some things just look better in black and white. In this case the black ceiling is a nice echo of the black floor, and the stringent motif makes the few touches of color pop.